Progress on the Constantine U.S. 131 bypass is slowly taking shape, but the lion's share of work awaits.

"Well, it's only the fourth week of work, so there really isn't a lot to report," said Nick Schirripa, MDOT spokesman. "The real focus right now is along the water."

Schirripa referenced the area where a new bridge will cross the St. Joseph River, about a half-mile west of the current bridge.

Driving past the site on the south side of Riverside Drive, one can see that a swath of trees have been removed and heavy equipment has moved in. Workers on both sides of the river preparing what is called a cofferdam, a steel sheet that isolates the work from the river. Evidence of it can be seen along the north bank of the river at the bridge site.

Ludington-based contractor Hardman Construction is doing the bridge work. Meanwhile, Rieth-Riley and D.J. McQuestion, based in Leroy, are contractors for the other components of the project.

Work on the 4.9-mile, $18 million bypass began Feb. 4. MDOT officials expect to complete the project in late November.

As with any major project, Schirripa said, progress may appear limited in the early stages. The 870-foot bridge is the highest priority, to avoid interference with spawning of the river redhorse fish in May.

In addition, tree removal around the river had to be finished prior to the Indiana bat's migration to the Great Lakes region.

Both requirements were imposed by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Schirripa said the roadwork portion of the project will expand outward from the bridge site. He said it could be months before travelers on the current stretch of U.S. 131 sees any evidence of the bypass.

"The bridge, obviously, is the most intricate piece," Schirripa said. "From there, it's just a matter of dirt work … grading, getting a level road bed set and then paving."

The new route will be connected to the existing highway at the end of the task.

Schirripa said working on a new roadway is a quicker job because there is no need for traffic detail, lane closures or rerouting traffic when work on an existing route is complete.

"We'll have some intricacies at intersections, but that'll be about the only inconveniences motorists will see, if they happen to be on any of the east-west roads when we're doing intersection work," Schirripa added. "Those are situations we'll deal with on a case-by-case basis when the actual intersection work is ready."

The bypass will veer west off the current route just north of Zerbe Road at the north end and rejoin the original route just north of Dickinson Road at its south leg.

Page 2 of 2 - In all, MDOT acquired 13 full parcels and 26 partial pieces of land. Thirteen families were relocated as a result of the land purchases, Schirripa said.

MDOT's 2011 vehicle count of U.S. 131 traffic in Constantine shows an average of 8,800 vehicles use the route over a 24-hour period. About 1,100 of those are commercial vehicles, such as semi-trucks, box trucks and cargo vans, according to Schirripa.

The current stretch of U.S. 131 in the village, including an aging bridge over the St. Joseph River, will remain under MDOT's jurisdiction and designated as a business route.